Nearly 80 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, analysis shows Black and Latino players still face obstacles as they attempt to make the majors

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 to usher in a historic moment for civil rights, yet Black representation in Major League Baseball stands at the lowest level since the 1950s. MLB initiatives have increased the number of Black players taken with top draft picks since 2010 – but those draftees haven’t made their way up from the minors often enough to stop the decline in the number of Black players in the majors.

An exclusive new analysis of the minor leagues shows one factor stopping Black players from making the majors: there has been persistent bias against Black and Latino players since 1950, preventing them from playing at certain positions and rising through the ranks of the minors. Players of color with darker skin often moved to the outfield and suffered the most bias. Conversations with former players, scouts, front office analysts, and baseball historians confirm those findings, with some recalling instances of overt bias even within the last 20 years.